Above: the new nutrition facility (Photo: Abbott)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

A new nutrition production facility has opened in Haiti’s central plateau, according to Partners in Health, Abbott and the Abbott Fund.

The product of a partnership between the three oragnizations, the new 18,000-square-foot Nourimanba Production Facility will produce what the groups said was “Nourimanba,” a life-saving treatment for severe malnutrition in children.

The first shipments of Nourimanba have already been sent to Parters in Health’s clinics in the region.

After several years of close collaboration, we are excited to achieve this significant milestone in our partnership with Abbott and the Abbott Fund. Producing Nourimanba at the new facility will help PIH and Zanmi Lasante to continue providing free, high-quality treatment for children at our clinics across the region,” said Ophelia Dahl, co-founder and executive director of Partners in Health. “The impact of this partnership goes well beyond a building. As an employer and a customer for local farmers, this facility aims to spark a cluster of economic activity that is desperately needed in the region.”

The facility is operated and managed by Haitians, the organizations said. It was built “primarily by Haitian workers,” with support from 50 Abbott engineers.

Nourimanba is a high-calorie, high-protein paste made of peanuts, milk powder, canola, oil, sugar and vitamins.

The peanuts are grown by Haitian farmers, the organizations said; the partnership has embarked on a pilot programme to support 300 farmers to improve the quality of the peanut supply for the facility.

The three organizations are also looking into ways to produce a fortified peanut butter, with revenue from peanut butter sales to be reinvested into the plant.

The project received $6.5 million in funding support from Abbott and the Abbott Fund.

“When Abbott started working with Partners In Health a few years ago, we were both looking for ways to do things differently, so we can have a greater impact in helping to bring about transformational change in Haiti,” said Katherine Pickus, divisional vice president, Global Citizenship and Policy, Abbott, in a release. “By combining the unique expertise and resources of a non-profit organization and a leading nutrition and healthcare business, and by listening and working closely together every step of the way, we have been able to open a new facility that both produces a life-saving treatment for children and provides economic opportunity for local communities.”